Maximizing In Vivo production of Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) baculovirus

The black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel),  is a pest causing damage to a variety plants from turf to row crops.  A recently discovered baculovirus has the potential to be developed as a biological pesticide to provide targeted control of this insect pest.  Initial field trials in turf grass  and corn using this baculovirus for control of the cutworm reduced plant damage.  In an effort to progress this baculovirus as a biological pesticide, experiments were conducted to determine parameters necessary for a cost effective in vivo production system using cutworm larvae.  Three larval diets, larval age at infection (7-10 d-old), and dosage of virus exposure (1 x 10⁵ to 1 x 10⁸ occlusion bodies ml^-1) were evaluated. Generally speaking, diets that maximized larval growth resulted in greater virus production.  Higher dosages for larval exposure were necessary to infect older/larger larvae, and resulted in greater virus yields.  These results will support the development of this baculovirus as an additional tool for the integrated control of the black cutworm.